The Theology Pugcast

Unable to meet this week, the Pugcast decided to share an episode from the 2019 archives. Tune in for this blast from the past!

Perhaps the most controversial character in all of Tolkien's writing is Tom Bombadil. People seem to either love him or hate him.  But regardless how you feel about him, most people can't figure out why he's even in the Lord of the Rings. What's the point of the man in the blue jacket and the yellow boots? Certainly Peter Jackson thought he was expendable. He isn't even in the film version of the story. Was he inserted to make Tolkien's children happy? Was Tolkien providing a little filler to buy time because he was still working out the plot? Chris thinks that Tolkien was up to far more than people give him credit for when it comes to Bombadil. Chris actually thinks that you don't really understand Tolkien, or the Lord of the Rings, until you receive Bombadil into your heart. Listen in as Chris, Tom, and Glenn discuss the meaning of the mysterious Tom Bombadil!

Today the Pugs discuss a provocative essay in the English publication, AirMail by Tara Isabella Burton. In this article she explores a new and very self-conscious religious disposition that is taking hold among tech elites in Silicon Valley. While there has been some buzz about a revival of interest in Christianity there, this is something very different, somewhat Gnostic, and very neopagan. Join the pugs as they reflect on it.

Today the Pugs welcome Fr. Mark Perkins of St. Dunstan's Academy in Virginia onto the show! St. Dunstan's brings together Christian formation in the Anglican tradition alongside an education in the classics, skilled trades, and agriculture. Its vision is to help boys grow into mature Christian manhood through rites of passage and through a deep engagement with embodied reality. It’s a wonderful vision for the education of boys. We hope you enjoy the show!

On today's episode the Pugsters welcome clinical mental health counselor Dr. Natalie Atwell onto the show. Dr. Atwell noticed a tremendous increase in the unusual number of rare mental health cases in her practice, many of which were in people who were engaged in occult practices. This has led her to work discerning the boundaries between mental health and spiritual warfare. Dr. Atwell’s ideas and experience generate conversation about the practical aspects of her work, the implications of Heiser’s work for mental health, and a variety of other related topics.

This week, Glenn brings up a dangerous idea that is growing in some Reformed circles: the idea of racial essentialism, that is, that different races have immutable characteristics that affect their worth. The guys talk about the image of God, the origins of the modern idea of race, and the challenges of working and ministering in a multicultural context.

Is the human capacity for language something that should be overcome? Some tech-gurus think so. Today’s show explores that topic by delving into the Christian understanding of human language as a core aspect of being made in the image of a God who is eternal Logos. Is the war on language ultimately a war on God? Join the Pugs in this rich conversation.

Recently James K. A. Smith said Calvin University should sue for divorce from the denomination that sponsors it because the governing body of that denomination says the university should enforce the biblical sexual teachings of that denomination. While this is the latest challenge to ecclesial authority at a ostensibly Christian college, it's definitely not the first. Across the church world similar battles between denominations and their colleges are being fought. But why does it happen in the first place? Today the Pugs--who've seen these fights from the inside many times--give their takes on how these colleges drift from the doctrinal standards of their sponsoring churches and what those churches can do about it.

Today the Pugs are pleased to welcome Ryan Lauterio of The Maker Institute of Richmond, Virginia onto the show! Ryan is an academic and artist who taught at Virginia Commonwealth University and is now the Chief Executive Officer of The Maker Institute. The mission of the Institute is to develop Gospel-gripped, theologically minded, adept culture makers who faithfully seek to glorify Christ in all things. The Pugs enjoyed a free ranging conversation about the arts generally speaking and the current state of arts education.

This week, the Pugsters are excited to welcome poet, priest, and theologian Malcolm Guite to the show. Chris leads off the conversation with Mariner, Guite’s biography of Samuel Taylor Coleridge which uniquely among studies of Coleridge brings out the importance of his return to Trinitarian Christianity to his life. The conversation uses Coleridge’s life and work as a jumping off point to move on to other topics, including Lewis’s concept of joy and the nature and importance of imagination. It’s a fascinating discussion with a fascinating individual, and we think you’ll find it as stimulating as we did.

After the last episode on Anselm didn’t get to his theory of the atonement, our resident historian Glenn decided we needed to go back and take another look at Anselm. But along with Anselm’s satisfaction theory, the guys look at a wide range of other ways Christians have understood the atonement over the past two millennia. Particularly at the beginning of Holy Week, this is a good time to broaden our thinking about the atonement and come to a deeper appreciation of what Christ has done for us.

On today's episode Tom introduces Saint Anselm, one of the most influential Western theologians whose impact remains significant on Western Christianity in particular. The pugs discussion of this founding teacher of scholastic Christianity lead into some of the riches of Christian history and theology, as well as into such fascinating territories of faith and reason, the ontological proof of God in particular, and the nature of the atonement. The relevance of the Saint for engaging our times is also discussed from many important angles.

Today Chris presents Rusty Reno's thesis from his book, Return of the Strong Gods: Nationalism, Populism, and the Future of the West. Reno's thesis is that since WW2 western leaders and intellectuals have worked to weaken natural affections that call for loyalty and sacrifice. The weak gods used to promote the program have been weakening and we now live in a world in which the old affections are growing stronger. The Pugs reflect on this development--both in hope, but also with a little caution.

The Pugsters take a walk on the weird side with a conversation on UFOs (or, as they are now called, UAPs), AI, and quantum computing as interrelated parts of a new, emerging religion that Glenn calls Technopaganism. There's a whole lot going on in these areas and a lot of it is very strange. Join us as Glenn takes us through a survey of some of the terrain using the work of professor of religion Diana Pasulka as a jumping off point. But be prepared for a lot of things that don't fit the way we've been taught to see the world!

On today's show Tom, Glenn, and Chris trace the theological heritage of historic Christian and Reformed moral theology as it drew upon and developed natural law thinking as one resource for moral wisdom and engagement with culture. As we address moral challenges of our age, we have a rich heritage in our faith, from the early Church through various Protestant and Reformed lines, to draw upon as we aim to unpack biblical ethical wisdom in our time. The natural law tradition is one such line which the Reformed line classically embraced and developed in light of its core theological insights. The pugs enjoy a lively conversation around this important contribution to moral theology.

Today the Pugs are pleased to interview Brian Suave' and Benjamin Garrett about their new book, Haunted Cosmos. It's a fun and free-ranging interview about a cosmos that is more than just "stuff." During the conversation the question, "Why are Reformed believers seemingly less willing to entertain the ongoing activity of angels and demons in our world?" is considered, along with many other fascinating questions. Tune in and prepare to hear a discussion that discusses fairies, cryptids, and aliens and what we should make of them. Fun!

Today Chris shares some of his work on artificial intelligence and the prospects for a wholesome humanism. The question he's attempting to answer is, "Is it possible to preserve permanent things such as traditional family life when the technology we have developed can easily tears wholesome life to shreds?" In other words, is dystopia inevitable, or can we have an apple pie American wholesomeness and still have rocket ships? Join us for a little science fiction fun!

Today the Pugs interview Jeff Shafer about the brave new world of children without biological parents. What happens when children become products that we assemble from the gene pool and sell to the highest bidder? We don't have to wonder, it's already here. Jeff is a lawyer and the director of the Hale Institute. His recent lecture, "Machine Anithumanism and the Inversion of Family Law" was published on a couple of prominent Substacks and came to the attention of Tom and Chris at a recent Hale Institute event they both participated in. Tune in a learn about the talk that has Matthew B. Crawford and N. S. Lyons buzzing. Our scientists are up to some disturbing antihuman stuff.

In this episode, the Pugsters take a look at Mariology from a Protestant perspective. While they don’t agree with a number of elements of the Catholic doctrines of Mary, the guys agree that Protestants don’t pay enough attention to her and that there are many valuable things she can teach us. As usual, the conversation ranges over a variety of topics, including the term “Mother of God” vs. Theotokos, prayer to saints, what virginity meant in the ancient world, and relics.

A correction, thanks to some of our Catholic listeners: Catholics bow when the incarnation is mentioned in the Nicene Creed. The focus of the bow is to acknowledge that miracle, not to single out Mary.

Today the Pugs are pleased to welcome to the show Tilly Dillehay, author of My Dear Hemlock. Tilly has taken Lewis's ingenious book, The Screwtape Letters as inspiration for her book in which Madame Hoaxrot (a female Screwtape) instructs a junior temptress named Hemlock (her Wormwood) in the fine art of leading a young woman astray. It's a fun episode, and one with many reflections on the spiritual hazards that women find tempting. We hope you enjoy the show--if "fun" and "enjoy" can be thought of as the right words for such a diabolical subject.

Today the Pugcast is pleased to welcome Anthony Esolen on the show! Tony is a prolific author and translator. Perhaps his best known work is his translation of Dante's Divine Comedy. Today the pugs ask Tony for his thoughts on Artificial Intelligence, particularly Chatbots and Large Language Models (LLMs). As you might infer from the title of the show, he is less than impressed. The conversation is free-flowing and we think Tony's thoughts are always erudite and fascinating. We hope you agree!

The Pugcast is pleased to welcome Brad Littlejohn back on the show to discuss his latest book, Called to Freedom. If there's one thing western culture seems to celebrate, it's freedom. But just what are we talking about when we speak of it? Does freedom mean doing anything you want, just so long as no one gets hurt? If so, is that even possible? That seems to imply freedom is either amoral or even immoral, and that can't be right. Fortunately we have rich wells to draw from in scripture and western philosophy on the matter and Brad is a faithful guide to those riches. Join the show and learn what it means to be free--spiritually, morally, politically, and even corporately.

While we don’t have a full podcast episode for you today, we do have something even better! A Pugcast Pilgrimage: Lewis, Oxford, and Our Postmodern Age (Our Pugcast Documentary filmed Spring 2024) is now publicly available on Youtube. Thank you again to all our Indiegogo supporters who made this possible!

If men would only read more, especially more fiction, would not political nightmares, such as our current presidential turn, be avoided? The feminized cultural commentators continue to think so. The pugs engage a recent Vox article that takes seriously such a claim, and while the article finds the claim to be built on a questionable statistic, it nevertheless promotes the idea that reading more fiction could save men from their attraction to toxic masculinity. Tom, Chris, and Glenn have a bit of fun with the articles’ working assumptions and key claims, all while noting the detachment from reality needed to take them seriously.

Today the Pugs reflect on a Substack article by N. S. Lyons entitled, The Reality War. This insightful piece notes that we are living through a revival of the most pernicious of all heresies--Gnosticism. The bitter irony of our time is it is occurring in what many people have wrongly assumed is the triumph of materialism. Lyons begins with recounting the bloody Crusade the Medieval Church waged against the Cathars, then he explores three manifestations of Gnosticism in our time: "Scientific Gnosticism," "Luxury Gnosticism," and finally, and counter-intuitively, "Reactionary Gnosticism." The Pugs consider each and wonder how we can fight them in our time. 

A recent post at Screen Rant complained that C.S. Lewis never explained Narnia’s magic system. This is an example of completely missing the point, as myth and legend never explain magic, though in recent fantasy lit, detailed out magic systems are almost an essential. For his part, Tolkien believed that fantasy had to make rational sense for it to work. The guys get go from these observations into a wide-ranging discussion of magic in fantasy, including Chris talking about the logic of magic in his fantasy series. They also get into a difference between the “magic” of the Elves and the magic of the Enemy in Middle Earth in light of Tokien’s essay “On Faerie Stories.”

Today's episode delves into how the mystery of God assuming human flesh has continued to upturn paradigms of what it means to be a human creature, of what it means to be divine, and how the two are related. The pug’s engage this rich and timely topic by delving into the history of the scandal such teaching has evoked and ways we can draw upon this most profound mystery to challenge the fashionable distortions of our age and be led into a deeper appreciation of this amazing revelation in history.

Today the Pugs discuss a post by Ted Gioia on his Substack, The Honest Broker. The title of the post is, "The State of the Culture, 2024" Gioia is a well known music critic, and is actually the brother of Dana Gioia (the poet). Ted Gioia's Substack is nearing 200,000 subscribers--that's very impressive. In the post the Pug discuss he outlines the demise both of art and entertainment by two new forces unleashed by Silicon Valley. It isn't a pretty picture. The guys respond with suggested spiritual disciplines that can counter the developments Gioia describes. Tune in to see if you agree!

Today the Pugs welcome Rory Groves, author of Durable Trades, and a new book, The Family Economy: Discovering the Family as It was Designed to Work. Rory transitioned out of a high tech career a few years back in order to build a family based economy with his wife and children. It took time, and there were many challenges, but he learned some important lessons along the way that he wants to share with people who would like to do the same thing. Tune in and find out if there's something to learn that could help you do it as well!

Today the Pugs are joined by writer and editorialist, Bethel McGrew to discuss Paul Kingsnorth’s Erasmus Lecture for First Things. The Pugs found themselves both barking when they found disagreement as well as agreement, with a slight weight given to disagreement. We hope that you enjoy the show. 

Working off a Breakpoint article on a Montana man serving time for cloning a Central Asian bighorn sheep and crossbreeding it with American bighorns to produce 300 plus pound sheep for hunting preserves (yes, it really happened), the guys get into a discussion about cloning, designer babies, life extension and attempts at human immortality, transhumanism, and other issues in bioethics.

In this episode, Glenn and honorary Pug John West of the Discovery Institute interview Indian Christian philosopher Vishal Mangalwadi about his life, his proposals for recovering the role of the church in higher education, and his analysis of where Western culture epistemology went wrong. This last point generated a lively discussion about general and special revelation between Vishal and John.

Today Chris shares some thoughts on techno-utopianism--namely, what characterizes it? He proffers six distinctives and asks the guys to reflect with him on them. He suggests that while very few people would say they're on board with all six, most people seem to at least think that technology inevitably makes the world a better place. But is that necessarily so, or are we presented with a set of tradeoffs when it comes to technology?

Today the Pugs welcome Rhys Laverty (all the way from the UK!) to discuss a new collection of essays on C. S. Lewis's Ransom Trilogy (sometimes misleadingly known as the Space Trilogy). The collection is being published under the title 'Life on the Silent Planet' by the Davenant Trust. Contributors include many friends of the Pugcast, including Michael Ward, of Planet Narnia fame. The Pugs enjoy a free-ranging discussion about everything from whether or not Lewis believed in intelligent life on other worlds to whether or not we're living in the world Lewis described in, That Hideous Strength. Join the fun!

This week's episode engages an article by moral theologian, Luke Bretherton of Oxford, who suggests that the recent swath of conversions by public intellectuals like Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Paul Kingsnorth, and flirtations with Christianity by figures like Jordan Peterson, Douglas Murray and Luise Perry are best understood as idolatrous pseudo-conversions which are more about preserving Western Culture than his brand of genuine Christianity, which is anti-fascist, anti-racist, and working tirelessly for democracy. The pugs are not convinced. And they show a host of reasons why.

Unconfirmed reports coming out of North Carolina of the government simply bulldozing areas affected by Hurricane Helene without searching for bodies prompted Glenn to raise the question of how we think of and treat the bodies of the dead. Historically, Christians have always believed that we belong, body and soul, to the Lord, and thus even after death the body was treated with respect and buried, not burned, in token of the resurrection. How do we treat bodies today, and with that, how do we view death? The guys explore these and related topics in a show that deals with uncomfortable and personal realities that we will all need to come to grips with sooner or later.

Trad Dad is back (Oct 25-26) in Battle Ground, Washington for our Second Annual Fatherhood Intensive. This year we will hear from Scott Yenor, Allan C. Carlson, and C.R. Wiley on Pro-Natal Fatherhood and the recovery of a proper philosophical, political, and most importantly, Biblical perspective on children.

Today’s conversation features CR Wiley and Scott Yenor, Professor of Political Science at Boise State University, Washington Fellow at Claremont Institute.

On today's show Chris leads the Pugs in a reflection on the story of Jonah--not the Biblical prophet, but the seminary student Rod Dreher interviewed for his book, Living in Wonder. Jonah was raised in an evangelical home, and was even homeschooled, yet fell into a spell of dark enchantment that included visions of demons and the use of psychedelic drugs. Eventually he was delivered through exorcism. What happened, and why does Jonah now say his evangelical upbringing did almost nothing to prepare him for any of this? Tune in and learn what the Pugs think.

On today's show Tom brings along Paul Kingsnorth’s article, The Illusion of a Pagan West, for the Pugs to engage. Topics delved into range from why we still talk about Roman Civilization to the theatrics of subversive woke culture. Most interesting is Kingsnorth’s claim that we are not returning to paganism but are locked into to a shallow culture which subverts Christianity all the while being indebted to its ethical legacy, ending with nothing really worth living or dying for.

In this episode, Glenn the History Pug gets into revisionist histories on the left and the right that both argue that history has been distorted to favor elites, and that they have the real story about what happened. Oddly, they both identify people like Churchill as villains, though for different reasons, and functionally try to at least soften our view of the people traditionally seen as the bad guys. This opens up discussions with Chris and Tom on a whole set of related issues. 

Today the Pugs revisit Matthew B. Crawford's book, Shop Class as Soulcraft. Among the many fascinating things discussed in it is the essential difference between autonomy and agency. Ironically, we live in a world of manufactured illusions of autonomy. We're led to make choices between options presented to us by parties that profit no matter what choice is made. On the other hand, there are people who possess true agency. Those are the people who get things done, and consequently are people we respect. And yet most people chose the illusion of autonomy over agency. Why is that? Join the Pugs as they discuss why.

Today the Pugs are shorthanded because Tom is in great demand. Never fear, Glenn and Chris are joined by Tim Adams, erstwhile conservative Methodist Minister. I know what you’re thinking, isn’t that an oxymoron? Sadly it seems so, but Methodism has a remarkable history and once was the fastest growing Protestant denomination in the United States. So, what happened? That’s what the show is about today. Join us for the cautionary tale of Methodism.

Can we really have a ‘meaningful job’? Is such a notion delusional? Tom initiates discussion with the other Pugs around the topic of whether the very notion of a ‘meaningful job’ in the contemporary understanding is delusional. Introducing the topic by way of Stuart Whately’s recent article in Unherd, the Pugs unpack rich threads of conversation sparked by the article as it engages the contrast between the excessively practical-oriented lives of those pursing individual satisfaction within their career ambitions and those who pursue something altogether ‘useless’ by today’s standards.

In this episode, the Pugs use an article from The Imaginative Conservative called “The Artistic and Intellectual Temperaments” by Michael De Sapio as a jumping off point to discuss art, intellectual life, and the connections and disconnections between the two. The guys discuss medieval and Renaissance art, modern art, Romanticism, poetry, intellectual life and academia, and roller skating down the Gugenheim.

Today the Pugs discuss a fascinating article by Jacob Howland that was published in the always interesting online journal, "Unherd." The article reflects on the sad story of Timothy Treadwell documented by film maker Werner Herzog in his 2005 documentary, Grizzly Man. But that's just the occasion for reflecting on the even sadder story of the crisis of the west--a crisis with an ending prophesied in Euripides ancient tragedy, Bacchae. Tune in and learn why things might get even weirder in the days ahead, and why we can know what's coming.

Who counts as a theologian? Who gets to address the deep things of God and creation? Tom is at the helm this week and he is joined by a special guest, Dr. Jahdiel Perez of Villanova University. Dr. Perez is a C. S. Lewis scholar, writing the first doctoral dissertation in ‘theology’ at the University of Oxford on C. S. Lewis. Wrapping up our Lewis theme, Tom and Jahdiel discusses many of the rich ‘theological’ insights of C. S. Lewis, from questions of evil and suffering in light of God’s goodness to questions of Christian enjoyment of created goods in contrast to Nietzsche’s criticism of Christian faith as wholly joy denying. The highlight of the conversation centers around C. S. Lewis as a theologian, not merely as apologist or academic.

Special appearance by Glenn Sunshine, whose personal computer may have been hacked by the ghost of Rousseau during the show.

On today's show Glenn and Chris interview Jordan Bush--the man behind the "Thank God for Bitcoin Conference." If this sounds a bit odd to you, here's something else to consider--Glenn and Chris both spoke at this year's conference in Nashville. So, what is this Bitcoin thing, and why should Christians be grateful for it? Tune in and hear why and judge for yourself whether or not you should be grateful for Bitcoin!

On today's show the Pugs look back on their trip to Oxford and talk about some of the things they learned and enjoyed from the trip. Glenn leads off with three things he got a deeper appreciation for about C. S. Lewis, each of which brings in further discussion, ideas, and tangents from Chris and Tom. Throughout the conversation, all of the Pugs share experiences, ideas, and appreciation for Oxford and their time there.

After a week at Oxford, surrounded by some of the best buildings to be found anywhere in the world when it comes to higher education, the Pugs discuss architecture on today's brief episode. "Why does beauty matter?" and “Why are all the science buildings ugly?” are among a host of questions addressed. Tune in as the guys long for a world that builds things the way they used to.

The Pugs continue their adventure in Oxford with an interview with Dr. Simon Horobin, the man behind the recently released book ‘C. S. Lewis's Oxford’. Dr. Horobin is an authority in medieval literature and teaches at Magdalen College. The Pugs joined Dr. Horobin in his room at Magdalen, not for from the rooms where Lewis taught and met with the Inklings. The conversation was rich and covers a lot of ground. Enjoy!